Fayetteville is the sixth-largest city in North Carolina, located in the Sandhills in the western part of the Coastal Plain region, on the Cape Fear River. It’s also the home to Fort Bragg, a major army installation northwest of the city. There are some decent options for running in Fayetteville. mainly on a series of multi-use trails, some facilities within Fort Bragg, and in the pine forests of several state parks & preserves near town.
In downtown Fayetteville, the best option is the Linear Park Trail, which connects several parks & historic sites. The best place to run in Fayetteville is the Cape Fear River Trail. Other good multi-use trails are the All American Trail, which skirts Fort Bragg, and the Dunn-Erwin Rail Trail. In Fort Bragg, there’s some nice running in the Smith Lake Recreation Area. There’s excellent trail running in Carver Creek State Park (13 miles north of Fayetteville), and in Raven Rock State Park & Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve, which are a bit further from town.
A car is generally needed to get around this area. Runners should also note that summers can be very hot and humid. Spring and fall are gorgeous for running!
